


books and puzzles (and two new friends)

by WattStalf



Series: cos your love's got the best of me (baby, you're making a fool of me) [47]
Category: Baccano!
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, could almost pass for fluff, this actually isn't super death heavy for once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-31 12:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19425997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: I could probably do it on my own, but you both took the time to visit me.





	books and puzzles (and two new friends)

**Author's Note:**

> If Lua is my favorite character and Ladd is second favorite, Christopher and Ricardo slide in right behind them, so I was excited to be able to right this.

As Lua predicted, the offer from the Russo family does turn out to be a trap, and she’s told outright that they’ll be keeping her “nice and safe” so that they can keep Ladd in line when he’s let out of prison. While that news might have caused panic for someone else, she is not bothered by it in the slightest, not only because she was expecting it, but because she doesn’t mind having the quiet life of a captive, not when she knows that it will lead to her seeing Ladd again soon.

She is happy because, in a way, they’re both in prison now, though she’s sure that her conditions are much better, and she is honestly treated rather well. It is quiet and lonely but she has been living in quiet and lonely conditions since she lost Ladd, but this time, it comes completely free of charge, so she has nothing to complain about there. And it is not completely without contact, as she has to have someone to bring her food to her and, every now and then, she gets visits from the grandson of her captor, as well his strange friend.

She has heard about Ricardo in passing from time to time, but she has never met him before. He is Ladd’s second cousin, and though, based on what she knows from Ladd, he should be around thirteen or fourteen, he looks a little bit younger, with a soft face and not a lot to speak of in the height department. However, he’s the picture of normalcy next to his bodyguard and self-proclaimed best friend, a man named Christopher.

The first time they visit her, they bring her a stack of books, and while Christopher goes on and on, introducing them, Ricardo simply says, “These are just some that we have around the house. You can let me know what you like if you finish them, and we can get something more suited to your tastes.”

“Thank you very much,” she says softly, the first time she’s spoken since being brought in. When she’s brought food, she just nods and attempts a smile, but she feels the need to vocalize her gratitude to Ricardo, perhaps because he is a child, or perhaps because he and his companion- mostly his companion- have said so much already, and it’s only fair that she speak as well.

“I like her,” she hears Christopher saying, after the two of them have left and shut the door behind them. “She barely showed a reaction to either of us, even though she knew who you were!”

“She can probably hear every word you’re saying, you know,” says Ricardo. “Besides, it’s  _ you _ I would have expected her to have a reaction to.”

Lua smiles to herself as their voices fade, and begins looking through the books.

~X~

They visit her again the next morning, not long after she’s finished eating, and Christopher asks her how she’s liking the books so far. She points to what she’s finished, saying, “They’ve helped pass the time.”

“I’m glad,” Ricardo replies, and starts looking through the titles, as if making a mental note. She wonders if he’s particularly well-read for his age, to be able to decide what sorts of things to get her based on what she’s enjoyed so far. He’s an odd boy, certainly, with a serious look about him that makes him contrast even more sharply with his friend, and would almost make her wonder how he could be related to Ladd, if she didn’t already know how much of a black sheep Ladd was, amongst his family.

“Is there anything else you like to do that we could bring you?” asks Christopher suddenly. “I can’t make any promises, but for a friend, I can always try! Oh, that’s right, I haven’t asked yet. Do you want to be friends with us?”

“Us?” asks Ricardo, raising a brow, but Christopher just grins at him.

Lua nods, giving them a half of a smile, and Christopher’s grin only grows. “That’s wonderful, perfect! See, Ricardo, now  _ you’ve _ made another friend as well.”

“It doesn’t really count, if you’re the one doing the work for me.”

“Of course it counts! You weren’t friends with Miss Lua before, and now you are, so what’s the problem?”

Ricardo shakes his head, not bothering with an answer. “If there’s anything else we can bring you, I can see what I can do.”

“Puzzles,” she answers, before going on to explain what kind that she enjoys.

~X~

“This looks difficult! And you really solve ones like this all the time?” Christopher stands over her shoulder while she examines the blank pieces spread out across the table, but she doesn’t mind having him hover over her. She got very used to it with Ladd, and the way he stood behind her, struggling to stay quiet while he watched her word. Ricardo sits across the table from her, also studying the pieces.

“Would you like to help?” she asks in a quiet voice, and Ricardo looks up, surprised.

“Do you need help?”

Lua shakes her head. “I could probably do it on my own, but you both took the time to visit me.”

Without waiting for Ricardo to answer, Christopher quickly takes a seat as well, and then the two begin working on the puzzle together, building the frame and then working inwards. They both have an easier time with it than she would have expected, and make conversation as they work, with her mostly listening while the two of them go back and forth.

She is almost jealous of their closeness, and it only makes her miss Ladd more. He’s always been the easiest person for her to talk to, and even when she was just listening to him ramble, it was comfortable. She can see that in the relationship between the two sharing her table, and she can’t wait until she and Ladd can be like that again.

Eventually, they try to include her more in the conversation, and this leads to her explaining the next step in the process for her puzzles. She explains why she prefers them blank- “It’s not to make it more challenging, I just like to paint when I’m done.”

Ricardo simply nods, but Christopher’s eyes seem to light up. “What sorts of things do you paint? Landscapes? I’m partial to those myself, but I’m sure I could never paint anything that actually does it justice. What about you?”

“It depends on how I’m feeling,” she answers, and this time, Christopher nods. “But I have painted quite a few landscapes.” He smiles then, satisfied, and Ricardo speaks up.

“We could get paint for you, maybe.”

“Ooh, yes, I want to see your landscapes!” Christopher agrees, but Lua shakes her head.

“That might be too much trouble. You already treat me so well, it might be too much if you started bringing me paints in,” she says. “If not for you, for someone else.”

“You might be right,” Ricardo agrees. “Well, either way, the books and puzzles definitely aren’t too much trouble.”

“We can work on one again tomorrow,” adds Christopher, but the three of them still haven’t finished the one they started.

She’s mostly telling the truth when she tells them why she doesn’t want them to bring her paints, but there’s more to it than that. Though it’s hard to get a read on Ricardo, Christopher certainly seemed enthusiastic about seeing what she might paint, and she isn’t sure if he would be as excited, seeing the way she always destroys them in the end. It might even make her feel guilty.

Either way, the time that she spends with he and Ricardo help make the isolation a little easier to deal with, and helps to pass the time until she’s able to see Ladd again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in my writing updates, please follow my fanfiction twitter @WattStalf  
> I'll follow back so long as you don't post anything hateful!


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